Belmont University enrollment stands at 5,023 students at the end of the registration period, marking an increase of five percent since last year and a rise of 69 percent since 2000 when the school enrolled 2,976 students. As part of its Vision 2010 plan, the university established a goal to surpass the 5,000 mark in enrollment and has now met that goal two years ahead of schedule. The Belmont student body currently comprises 817 graduate students and 4,206 undergraduates, representing record enrollment in both categories.
Belmont President Dr. Bob Fisher said, “What is unusual about our growth is not just the growing enrollment numbers, but also that the students entering Belmont are better prepared academically and are being successful here and graduating at a significantly higher level. This points to the strength of our programs and the dedication and talents of this university’s faculty and staff.”
Since 2000, Belmont’s full-time undergraduate enrollment has increased by more than 2,000 students, and this year’s incoming class represents 41 states and five foreign countries. The university received a record number of applications—more than 3,000—of which a competitive 63 percent were accepted, down from 79 percent in 2000. The average ACT score for the 2007-08 freshman class is 26. One-third of new freshmen at Belmont were in the top 10 percent of their graduating class and 70 percent were in the top quarter. This year’s freshman class of 932 students held an average cumulative high school GPA of 3.52, with five percent graduating as either valedictorians (31) or salutatorians (17).
In the annual U.S. News & World Report ranking of America’s best colleges and universities, Belmont was cited most as a Top School to Watch and is ranked 11th in the South in the “Best Universities – Masters” category, making Belmont the highest ranked university in Tennessee in this category. The rankings are based on several quality indicators including student retention rates, graduation rates, student-faculty ratios and scores on college entrance exams.
